Accidentally Unfortunate
by MissAdds
Summary: After a tragic event leaves Olivia and her son, Noah in critical condition, how will Brian react? Will their small family get through it all or will they crumble under the pressure?
1. Chapter 1

_*Just an idea I couldn't get out of my head. I'll continue to work on my other stories, but I thought it might be time for something new and fresh. Let me know what you guys think. Enjoy!*_

She was distracted. How had she let herself become so distracted? She had told herself to leave her work at the precinct, there were more important things at home than the awful cases she spent her days solving, they didn't need to ruin the time she had with her family. But no, of course not, she was Olivia Benson, when did cases ever get forgotten? When did she ever stop worrying about victims? She didn't, unless of course she had no other option.

Everything happened so quickly. Maybe there was no way she could have reacted fast enough. Maybe there was no way she would know the answer to that question because she had been so distracted. But whether or not she could have acted, didn't make her prepared. Nothing would prepare her for the unexpected.

Olivia didn't realize it, but it had started when she left work. She had seen plenty of cases that left her wanting to solve them. Sometimes though, there were some cases that just made her angrier and more upset. She couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was, but the particular case that had come in today, had that effect on her.

She left her office and made her way through her department. She did a quick check with her team, making sure that they were doing what they could to solve their latest case.

"You guys know where to find me if you need me." Olivia said to Amanda, Fin, and Nick as she stood near the doorway.

"Sergeant." Nick sighed, knowing that his commanding officer would never give herself a break. "We know your number, but we can handle this."

"Alright." Olivia took a step towards the door and then turned back around. "Make sure to check out the boyfriend, our usual pimps, and the nearest strip clubs."

Fin just laughed at her. "Liv, if we needed babysitting all the time you would be so fed up, you wouldn't be working here anymore. Now go, we will be fine."

With the final words from Fin, Olivia simply nodded and left, getting on the elevator and heading down. She made her way to the car, checking her phone for messages, emails, and missed calls. She unlocked her Volvo, threw her purse into the passenger seat and left the precinct.

Her trip home from the precinct started just as it always did. She was tired and the case was lingering in her thoughts. She was on auto-pilot as she headed for the daycare where her son had spent his day. Seeing Noah, though, had taken her mind off the case for at least a little while. From the moment she saw his smiling face, which only lit up more as he saw his mother appear in the room, to the moment she put him in his car seat five minutes later, he was just about the only thing on her mind.

Olivia continued on her way, with a stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. A trip to the grocery store with an eight month old was not Liv's favorite activity, nor was it Noah's. The little boy had been content in the car with his mom, as he had fallen asleep, and he was not happy to be woken up and forced to sit in his stroller while his mom shopped. The mom was quick to pick up her things and return to the car, before her son threw a temper tantrum and there was a full blown meltdown.

As they began the last leg of their journey home, Noah was still not happy. He was whining and crying in his car seat in the backseat.

"Buddy, you only have fifteen minutes and we'll be home, okay?" She told him, even though she knew there was no chance of a reply.

The boy seemed to stop for a second and acknowledge his mom. Although that only lasted maybe ten seconds before he was back to crying and throwing a fit about being captured in the car. Liv hated to watch him get so upset, but there was nothing she could do right now.

The crying continued. But that's not what took Olivia's attention. She finally succumbed to her thoughts on the case.

As they drove down a busy street, Olivia couldn't help but notice a young girl, maybe nineteen or twenty, but no older. It was obvious the way she walked, the way she was dressed, the girl was selling herself. And while normally prostitutes had no effect on the female sergeant, today they affected her more than anything.

That was the case that had come in that day, a young girl, eighteen years old, raped and dead in alley. It was devastating. She wasn't even a pro, just a girl dressed for a party who had been taken advantage of, who had been violated and then stabbed.

A loud scream, followed by a babble that sound similar to "mama" erupted from the backseat and brought Olivia back to reality.

"I know, Noah." She said as she stared into the rearview mirror at her son. "I know, baby, but where almost home."

Noah stopped screaming, but continued to whine slightly. His noise wasn't enough, though, to keep his mother's attention solely on him.

Olivia had stopped at a red light, behind the cross walk. As she sat waiting for the signal to turn green, another young girl appeared, walking in front of the car as she crossed the street.

Her thoughts were immediately back to the day's victims. The poor girl had been nothing but innocent, enjoying a night out with friends. It was horrible what a human being was capable of doing to another human. It would never not be devastating when a young girl's life was ended before it began, when any victims life was ended too soon, for that matter.

That's where her thoughts where when it happened. They hadn't been on her distraught son or the cars around her or more specifically on the truck that was trained to her left on the cross street. The truck that didn't stop, the truck that kept going no matter that light had turned red.

Olivia had reacted without thought, the light was green, that meant go and that was exactly what Olivia did. It didn't occur to her that the car coming from the other direction going at least ten miles over the speed limit would stop her from continuing through the intersection.

The impact was jolting. It threw the Volvo SUV across the intersection and into a parked car. Olivia felt like she was being bounced from each side of the car, even though she was only swaying slightly, her seatbelt keeping her from actually flying out of her seat.

The truck hit Olivia's side of the car. The impact had been so hard that it pressed her seat into the steering wheel. While her body went forward her head flew to the side, smashing against the window, breaking the glass.

The traffic around the scene came to a halt, as the bystanders watched the two vehicles come in contact with one and other. They watched as the metal of both vehicles twisted into one and other, as the SUV flew its way across the intersection. It was horrific. People stopped their cars wherever they were and got out to assess the scene, however there was very little anyone could do besides quickly dial nine-one-one.

The world was fuzzy around Olivia, she couldn't see anything clearly and her whole body hurt. She seemed to sit, unable to move forever, but in all reality it was just seconds. She could barely make out the noise surrounding her. She thought she may have heard shouting, possibly sirens, but the most prominent noise was the cries of her son. They were hushed and almost inaudible, but a mother didn't miss the sound of her own child. She moaned slightly at the noise, unable to form any words.

It only took seconds for Olivia's body to go numb, for her head to roll back, her eyes following to the back of her skull. The scene around her went from blurry and unthinkable, to black. The last noises playing through her ears were the extended cries of her baby boy.


	2. Chapter 2

Panic and sheer terror didn't even begin to describe how Brian felt as he ran through the hospital entrance. The last thing he had been expecting was the call he received.

It had been Nick who called him. The partner of his girlfriend had been in his car going to visit a suspect when he heard the call over the radio; he had thought nothing of it. There were plenty of Volvo SUVs in New York; however when he heard that is was a fellow officer involved in the crash, he knew immediately that it was his sergeant. Nick wasn't able to go to the scene but he had taken the time to call headquarters and get the name of the officer involved in the crash and it was none other than Olivia Benson. The first thing he did was call Brian.

And that's what left Brian in the hospital running towards the intensive care unit, more than afraid for his girlfriend and son.

He slowed only when he came to the nurses' station, where an older friendly looking woman sat. Brian figured she was the one to ask about Liv.

"I need… I need to find…" He couldn't even finish his sentence, he was out of breath from moving so fast.

"Okay, sir." The nurse said patiently. "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Olivia, Olivia Benson." Brian spit it out.

"Alright, let me see what I can tell you." The nurse quickly typed the information into the computer. "So she is here, but they are still in the operating room with her. I can let you know as soon as we can allow you to see her."

"What about my son. Can you tell me where he is?" Brian asked frantically.

"I certainly can. What's his name?"

"Noah Porter." He told her. Since they hadn't legally adopted him yet, the baby boy was still going by his original last name.

She turned back to the computer and entered the new info she had been given. "This says he's in the NICU. I can have someone come get you and take you to see him, right now."

"Please, please." Brian was so anxious to see either one of them.

Within the next ten minutes, another nurse came into the unit to take Brian to his son. The NICU was one floor down and on the opposite side of the hospital. It was quite. The walls seemed to scream with color and pictures, but there was no actual noise. The room they entered was quieter with its color and it was still absolutely silent.

The young nurse led him to an enclosed incubator where his son laid hooked up to multiple wires, looking quite helpless.

"What's wrong with him?" Brian asked the nurse.

"Let me get his doctor for you, she'll be able to better explain everything for you and answer your questions." The nurse walked away and was replaced shortly with an older woman with a cheery disposition and a white lab coat embroidered with her name.

"Hi Mr…?" The woman asked him.

"Uh… Cassidy." Brian had to think for a minute about what he was being asked.

"Mr. Cassidy. I'm Dr. Abbott." She told him. "And I'm sure you want to know about what's happening with your son."

"Please." Brian looked between Noah and the doctor.

"So he has a couple of fractured ribs. From what the paramedics told us, he was still strapped into his car seat after the impact, which saved him from an outcome that could have been much worse. The problem is that the fractures in his ribs are putting pressure on his lungs. That's why there are all the wires; we have to keep him on oxygen until his ribs heal."

Brian sighed. "But everything else is okay?"

"It seems to be for now the doctor answered." Dr. Abbott answered. "We are still waiting for a few more tests results, but there isn't anything indicating that anything else major is wrong."

"How long will he have to be here?" Brian could think of nothing else but getting his son back home and away from the place filled with sick people.

"No more than a week. We just have to see how fast his body heals." The doctor moved closer to Noah. "That's what the cast is for, to set his ribs in place and allow as little movement as possible, so they heal that much quicker."

The cast was white and soft, but obviously wrapped rather tightly so Noah couldn't wiggle too much. It covered basically his whole torso, making his injuries seem much worse than the doctor had described them to be.

The female doctor continued mentioning some medical related things Brian didn't understand, before she left him alone with Noah. The little boy was awake and staring at his dad, as if he was glad to have someone familiar by his side. Brian felt much better too, knowing that he could be with him and that he would be okay. All he needed to know now was that Olivia would be okay.

A couple of hours passed and Noah had fallen asleep with his dad carefully watching him. The little boy was still doing well and while his breathing was only okay because of the machine, he was at least comfortable.

While Brian watched the rise and fall of his chest, to ensure to himself that he was fine, the nurse who had brought him to his son earlier returned.

"Excuse Mr. Cassidy?" She asked in a slightly hushed tone, in order to not wake the sleeping baby.

Brian stood up from the seat he had been occupying. "Yes?"

"I just got a call from ICU." She informed him. "They said Ms. Benson was out of surgery."

"Umm…" Brian hesitated, not sure how he felt about leaving Noah. Both of them needed him right now.

"There will be nurses checking on him and Dr. Abbott will be in and out, he's in good hands." The nurse told him sensing that he was worried about leaving his son when he was in such a state.

"Okay, thank you." Brian took one more look at his sleeping son and walked out of the NICU back to the elevator. He was so torn between who needed him, but at least Noah was asleep and unaware of what was going on.

When he made his way back to the nurses' station where he had started, the same older nurse was sitting there again, but this time there was a doctor also at the desk looking at charts. He looked to be about the same age as Brian and he wore scrubs and a surgical cap. By the way he was dressed Brian figured he must of just gotten out of surgery, which would most likely make him Liv's doctor.

At the sound of the Brian's footsteps, the doctor looked at up and made eye contact. "You must be Mr. Cassidy?" He asked him.

"Yes." He answered. "Are you Olivia's doctor?"

The doctor set down the chart and took a step away from the station. "Yes. I'm Dr. Williams."

"So can I see her?" Brian didn't have time for any small talk.

Brian watched as his facial expression changed. He had been stoic, but he now had a look of thought on his face, as if he really had to consider how to answer Brian's question, which worried Brian. He had just been in surgery with Liv? Why was allowing him to see her such a hard thing for him to decide?

"Maybe we should go somewhere else and talk?" The doctor suggested, even though there were only two other people in the waiting room. But he turned away from the desk and headed towards the double doors that separated the patients and family, leaving Brian with no choice but to follow him.

They went through the doors and Dr. Williams stepped to the side of the hallway and stopped there. "Before I let you in to see her, I think there are some things I need to tell you."

"Why?" Brian was quick to ask, not understanding what he was missing. "What happened?"

"The surgery went fine, but…" The doctor hesitated slightly.

With his hesitation, Brian interrupted him. "But what? Please, I just need to know what's going on."

The doctor gave a sigh and looked at the man standing in front of him, he knew that what he was about to tell him would be hard to hear. However, there was no way to avoid it.

"Ms. Benson is in a coma." Dr. Williams finally admitted.


	3. Chapter 3

The words hit him like a ton of bricks. Brian understood that the accident was bad and that there were bound to be injuries for both Noah and Liv, but he hadn't expected her to be unconscious.

"What do you mean she's in a coma? You just said the surgery went fine." As the words registered more with him, Brian was confused as to how anything could be fine if his girlfriend was in a coma.

"The surgery did go well." Dr. Williams told him. "But the surgery we were doing was for a collapsed lung and to set rib fractures. That isn't what is causing her to be in a coma."

"Than what is causing it?!" Brian was becoming increasingly more irritated.

"She has a brain bleed. We are keeping her in a medically induced coma until it stops or it requires us to go in and operate." The doctor explained.

Brian let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "So we just have to wait and see what happens?"

The doctor nodded. "At this point it's all we can do. She stable and it's not causing any worry, but that can change quickly. For now we keep her unconscious and make sure that everything is alright before moving forward with any treatment."

"Can I see her at least?" Brian didn't care to hear anything else medically related. He just needed to see her, to know that she was still present.

"Absolutely." Dr. Williams moved from where he stood and started to walk further down the hall, he stopped when he reached a door on his left. "Myself or a nurse will be back later to check her vitals."

Before either of them could say anything more, the doctor's pager went off and he was quick to head back down the hallway and disappeared around a corner, leaving Brian to see Olivia. When he walked into the room, he didn't know what he was expecting to see, but what he saw certainly wasn't what he had thought he would see. The room was dimly lit and the walls were white with no color anywhere else in the room.

But the bead is what grabbed his attention, or more specifically the person in the bed. Olivia had always been a presence in a room, everyone noticed her and she had an authority that everyone was able to sense. However, now she had no authority, she was nothing but a limp body lying in a hospital bed, unconscious. She looked weak and small, something Brian was unaccustomed too. Her head had a few bruises and there were some other scratches and things down her arms.

Brian immediately reached for her hand and held it tightly in his own. He didn't want to let go, he felt it was the only way for him to be in contact with her. As he gripped it, he couldn't help but think of when they had decided to adopt Noah. She had been so happy and now both of them were lying in hospital beds, threatening to never see each other again.

_She's been through hell, absolute, pure, unadulterated hell. William Lewis had put her through the ringer and Brian knew it. He knew it had a lasting effect on her. And it was obvious they needed some good news in their lives. But a baby was not what he had expected. _

_ Olivia had come home from work and there was obviously something on her mind. Brian watched as she came into their kitchen where he stood making himself dinner. He wasn't sure what the look on her face was saying. _

_ "Hey, babe." Brian turned to where Olivia stood next to him and leaned in for a quick kiss. _

_ She kissed him back, but didn't reply. Instead she opened the door and got out a bottle of water, opening it and taking a drink._

_ "Is something up?" Brian asked, knowing that more than likely Olivia wouldn't give up the information voluntarily. _

_ "Umm…" Olivia sighed. She just wasn't sure how to break the news to him. She didn't know what his reaction would be, if he would be happy or upset that she was springing all of this on him without warning. They had come to terms with her not being pregnant earlier in the year; Brian hadn't thought it was the right time then, what would change it this time around? _

_ She looked at him from where she stood. "You remember I told you about the trial for Baby boy, I mean Noah, today?" _

_ "Oh, yeah. How did that go?" Brian remembered them talking about the previous trials and the case with his mom, so he wasn't surprised that it was weighing in Olivia's mind. _

_ "Well it went…" Liv told him. _

_ Brian stopped what he was doing and stared at her. "What exactly does that mean?" _

_ "This is going to sound crazy and you're probably going to think that I'm crazy for thinking about it, but the judge asked me…" But Olivia stopped before she could tell him. _

_ "Come on, Liv, just spit it out." Brian badgered her._

_ She let out a deep breath. "The judge asked if I wanted to be the baby's foster parent." _

_ Brian coughed slightly as he choked on the food he had just put in his mouth. He reached for his drink and tried to wash down the food. _

_ Olivia could tell by the look on his face that he was shocked. "I told you it was crazy. I'll just tell her to forget about it." _

_ Brian could hear the defeat in her voice. He knew she wanted nothing more than a baby, but he also knew what it was like to live with the two of them. They had hectic schedules and there weren't that many times when both of them were home together. It was the way she said it though, he didn't want to be the person to make her unhappy. "You don't have to tell her no. Is this something you were really considered?" _

_ "Yeah, actually I was." Liv answered him. "I know it seems ridiculous to take this on all of a sudden, but the little boy needs someone and I feel like I could be that someone, that we could be those people." _

_ Brian let out a sigh. He could hear it in her words, the want, and the need for this little boy to be in their lives. He couldn't bear to tell her no and he wasn't going to._

_ A week later they brought the adorable, happy baby home and never looked back. It took less than twenty four hours for both of them to fall instantly in love with the sweet boy. And it turned out that he was what brought them closer together. He became a priority along with their relationship; their personal lives finally were just as important as their careers. _

Brian took his other hand and wiped the few tears that were running down his face. Liv meant more to him than anyone ever had and he couldn't handle everything that had happened to her.

While Brian sat with her, a nurse had come in to check on everything. Her vitals seemed to be stable and for now it still looked as if the brain bleed wasn't getting any worse. But no matter how much reassurance he got, Brian wouldn't believe any of it until Olivia was awake and responsive. He couldn't have his hopes crushed if something were to go wrong.

Much to his dismay, Brian had been right not to hope for the best. Within the next hour, one of the many machines Olivia was hooked to started beeping, slowly at first and then quickly. He didn't understand what was going on, but soon Dr. Williams and two nurses came rushing into the room.

"What's wrong?!" Brian asked frantically, not getting an answer. "What's happening to her?!"

"Sir." It was one of the nurses. "We need you to leave while we treat your wife."

"No. What's wrong?!" He protested. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Olivia in the care of another person.

The nurse started pushing him to the door. "We don't know what's wrong and we can't figure it out until you let us take care of her."

He tried to get around her and back to Liv, but she was quick to block him and continue pushing him out the door. Before Brian could try again, he was outside the room, the door slamming in his face. He was blocked from Liv, helpless to her again.


	4. Chapter 4

After spending nearly two hours in the ICU waiting room, Brian couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't just sit and stare at the four white walls, hoping to hear something. Instead he headed to the NICU.

Noah was asleep when he got there. He looked like he was more comfortable and he seemed peaceful.

Brian softly ran his finger down one of his arms, careful not to disturb him. "Hey buddy."

Noah moved slightly, but settled again, his breathes evening out. Brian just sat and watched his chest rise and fall. At this point Noah was all he had. He knew he would be okay and that was the only thing helping him keep himself together, because what was happening to Liv was almost too hard to handle.

"Mommy is really going to need you when she wakes up, Noah. She's going to need both of us." Brian whispered to his sleeping son.

Brian wasn't one for emotions and the only time he ever showed any was with Olivia. They had been through a lot together, a lot more than Brian thought they were going to have to deal with. Between Lewis and the trial, which almost pushed Olivia over the edge along with their relationship. And they had gotten through becoming parents, even though they were happy about their son, it had been a new challenge.

Noah gave a small yawn and opened his eyes to look up at his dad, who gave him a slight smile.

"Hi, Noah." The baby smiled back at Brian.

The nurse he had spoken with earlier, came up to him again. "You know, if you're very careful, you're more than welcome to hold him."

"Really?" Brian wanted nothing more than to hold his son.

"Yeah, it'll depend on whether or not Noah is comfortable in a different position because it's hard to say what will hurt him, but I'm more than willing to help you." The nurse said.

She was careful to not jostle Noah too much, but she lifted him out of the bed. He let out a small whine, but he didn't seem to be in pain. She moved to face Brian and laid the baby gently on his chest. Brian leaned back, placing his arms very lightly around Noah. The little boy instantly snuggled against his dad's sculpted chest, recognizing the familiar surface and becoming comfortable.

Noah stayed lying against Brian, he soon drifted off to sleep, and he was obviously content to be in his dad's arms. Brian was rubbing his back, when he himself fell asleep. Everything that had happened within the last twelve hours really took it out of him.

A couple of hours later, Brian was awoken by a tap on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mr. Cassidy?" It was the nurse again.

Brian blinked a few times, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't remember falling asleep."

"Oh you're fine, I'm sure you've had a long day." She sympathized with him. "I just figured you would want to know that Dr. Williams was looking for you, it seemed important."

"Oh, um… Thank you." Brian moved to get out of the seat but stopped himself when he remembered that the weight leaning against him was a sleeping Noah.

"Here, let me get him." The nurse gently removed the baby from his dad and laid him back down in his own bed. Noah stayed asleep, not making a peep as he was moved.

Brian ran his hand over his soft locks. "Bye buddy. Hopefully I'll be back soon and maybe with mommy." He kissed his forehead and walked away.

Brian was quick to make it up to the next floor on the elevator and speed walked back to the ICU waiting room, where he once again found Dr. Williams at the nurse's station.

"I heard you had news about Olivia." Brian said to the doctor as he walked towards him.

"Oh, Mr. Cassidy." Dr. Williams looked up from the file he had been reading. "Let's move somewhere a little more private."

They stepped over towards the doors of the unit out of earshot from the nurses and two people still in the waiting room. "So, we had to take her back into surgery, obviously."

"For what?" Brian asked.

"Her brain bleed." Dr. Williams answered. "It became worse much faster than we had expected, so we had to remove a piece of her skull to get to it. We were able to stop the hemorrhaging and put back the piece of her skull. We shaved a very little part of her head to remove the skull, so she won't be waking up to half her head being shaved. And we'll have to keep the bandage around her head until it heals."

"Wait." Brian let his words sink in. "So she is going to wake up?"

"She should. I can't tell you how long it will take and you have to keep in mind that sometimes things happen, so there is the very slightest chance that she may not come out of it. But the chances are in her favor and I would be shocked if we don't have her back with us very soon." Dr. Williams did actually sound very hopeful.

"Can I see her?" Brian questioned him.

"Yes. She's in the same room she was before; you're more than welcome to head back there." The doctor gave a nod towards the doors that Brian could find Olivia behind and then walked away.

Brian stepped to head through the doors, but was interrupted.

"Brian. Brian, wait!"

He turned around to see both Fin and Nick, walking towards him. They both had worried looks on their faces.

"Hey, man, sorry we couldn't get here earlier, we caught a case." Fin apologized, even though Brian wasn't really expecting to see anyone. Although he could have guessed that Olivia's squad would be there for her.

"How's Liv?" Nick asked Brian. The two men had their problems with each other, but they both cared about Olivia and when it came to her, it was the only time they could agree and be civil.

"Umm… She's okay. She still unconscious and they have had to take her into surgery twice, but the doctor just told me he thinks she should wake up soon, hopefully." Brian brought them up to speed.

"It's Liv, there's no way she isn't coming out of it." Fin stated, knowing just how much of a fighter his sergeant was.

"What about Noah?" It was Nick, again asking the questions.

"He's fine. He has a couple of fractured ribs and he was having a little trouble breathing, but he's been sleeping and he seems to be kind of unfazed." Brian was happy his son wasn't as bad off as Olivia.

"Good. I'm glad he's okay." Nick cared about the little boy too and he knew how much he meant to Olivia. She would never forgive herself if something serious happened to him.

"Do you know if we can see Liv?" Fin was curious.

"I think you can. I was headed in there right now." Brian started to walk towards the double doors and the other men followed him through the silent hallway to Liv's room.

They all walked into the room and were slightly taken aback by the sight. Brian had already seen her, but the new bandage wrapped around her head, made him realize that she had literally had someone in her brain, trying to stop it from bleeding so she would stay alive. It was shocking for him to think about.

Fin and Nick were simply shocked by everything. They had never seen their commanding officer look so weak and small. They could see the bruises and scratches that covered her body, the wrap around her head, and all the wires and machines she was connected to. It was like they were looking at someone completely different than Olivia. Fin had known Olivia for nearly fifteen years and he had never once seen her so defeated. Nick could barely look at his partner, let alone think about everything she had to go through.

There was one thing all the men could agree on, the family had a long road ahead of them and Olivia, an especially long road. It was hard to think possible, but it might end being an even longer recovery than after Lewis had attacked her. Brian had a long time before his girlfriend was back to normal and Fin and Nick had a long time before their commanding officer would be back to giving them orders.


	5. Chapter 5

Three days later and Brian had yet to see the deep chocolate brown eyes of his girlfriend. Something he longed for more than he ever thought he would.

There had been moments like this, after Lewis. When she had disappeared for four days, he had just wanted to look into her eyes. When they had sat through the trial and Olivia wouldn't make eye contact with anyone, let alone Brian, he had just wanted to make eye contact with her and tell her that he was there for her, no matter what. And the second time Lewis took her, all he could picture was the fear flashing through her eyes. Olivia's eyes said it all and he wanted to know it all.

But nothing he could do would bring her back, all he could do was wait and hope for the best.

Brian thought about it all, as he sat in the chair next to Liv's bed. His thoughts were interrupted by a very wiggly little boy, though. "Dada", Noah fussed as he tried to move from his father's arms, tired of sitting still.

"I know, buddy", Brian resettled him. "But you have to be careful".

Even though Noah was now allowed to visit his mommy with Brian, he was still under strict instruction from his pediatrician in the NICU. He wasn't allowed to be crawling around or doing anything that was physically strenuous until they were sure his fractures had healed and his breathing was under control. However, Noah didn't want to be very respectful of that, what kid would?

"Alright, how about we go get something to eat and then we'll come back to see mommy?" Brian asked, but was really telling Noah as he stood up from the chair. Noah's only response was a smile.

The two boys sat in the hospital cafeteria forty-five minutes later. They both had eaten and now Noah was working on finishing his sippy cup filled with milk.

After lunch, Brian and Noah went back to Liv's room, but it wasn't long before the little boy was fast asleep. Brian decided he would take him back to the pediatric floor and let him rest there for a while.

When he was walking back from the elevator, Brian passed through the waiting room only to stop at the sight of the man sitting in one of the chairs. He had to do a double take just to make sure it was really him.

"Cragen?" Brian questioned his former captain.

He stood up from the chair. "Brian, how is she?"

"What are you doing here?" Brian asked before he realized how the question sounded. "I don't mean that, but I thought you were with Ilene."

After his retirement, the captain decided it was time for a little fun and had taken a cruise with his girlfriend. None of his squad members had heard from him since. It had been hard for Olivia, the man had meant a lot to her and she had no warning of him leaving. Especially after the second attack by Lewis and adopting Noah, Liv really wished he had been there.

"Nick called me and told me what had happened." Cragen filled him in. "I was staying with Ilene at her house in Maine, so I came as quickly as I could."

"Well I'm sure if she was awake she would really appreciate you being here." Brian said to him.

"You mean she's still… in a coma?" Cragen knew she had been unconscious at one point, but Nick had failed to tell him that she had yet to wake up.

"Oh. I figured Nick told you." Brian took a deep breath. He hated having to explain Olivia's state to people. He didn't want to have to think about it himself but when he actually had to say the words out loud, it all seemed so real. "There's brain activity and everything looks good on her tests, but the doctor said there really isn't any way of telling when she'll wake up… if she does.

"Hey, it's Liv we're talking about. There is no way she's not coming out of this." Cragen knew her all too well, to think that Liv wouldn't put up a fight.

Brian smirked slightly. "I really hope you're right."

There was a pause, a silence between the two men. Brian didn't know what else to say to him. So much had happened in the time he was gone and as far as he knew there was a lot he didn't know. But it also wasn't exactly the best time to tell him that Olivia had been taken again, put through the ringer in court, and had adopted a son.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence between them, Brian finally spoke. "You know, if you want to, you can go and see her."

"I would really like to." Cragen told him.

The men walked down the hallway and into Olivia's room, where Cragen was just as much taken aback as everyone else had been. The women in the bed had been his number two for years she was stronger than any man on the force, always had been. However, looking at her and every monitor connected to her, he wasn't sure that he was seeing anyone he recognized.

Brian and Cragen made small talk for almost an hour while Liv's machines beeped constantly. But as they rolled past an hour the heart monitor she was attached to seemed to become louder and faster.

Brian had seen it do that before, so it didn't faze him. And it slowed down again in a matter of five minutes. But then his phone was ringing, it was the pediatric nurse.

"I have to go real quick and I'll be right back, but you can stay." Brian told Cragen.

"I think I'll sit here for a little longer." Cragen hadn't seen her in so long and even though there was no conversation or contact, he felt he had time to make up for.

After getting off the elevator, Brian was quick to head to Noah's room where he had been moved to. The little boy was sitting up and whining while his nurse tried to calm him down.

"He woke up upset and the only thing he could say was daddy." The nurse, Abby, had been with him since he was moved into his own room. She understood the situation and it hadn't been the first time that Noah had woken up, wanting his father.

Brian walked up to the crib and picked up his son in one swift motion. "I'll take him back with me for now."

Cragen felt like Brian had been gone longer than he had expected him to be, although, he didn't mind it. However, he was worried to be alone when Olivia's monitor started to speed up again and grow louder. And this time it didn't stop. It kept going and going.

Then he saw it, or thought he saw it, the movement of her hand. But he wasn't sure. He watched her for a little while longer, until Brian entered the room with Noah.

But it was that moment that it happened. They both saw it; her hand moved again, both of them.

"Did she…" Brian couldn't finish his sentence. He was interrupted.

It took a moment. Her eye lids scrunched together, almost as if she was squinting. Then they barely opened, just enough to see the slightest bit of white and brown. They closed quickly, though, defending themselves from the light.

In one movement, Brian put Noah down in the chair by the bed and grabbed Liv's hand.

He squeezed her hand. "Liv? Liv?"

There was a gentle grip around his hand as she squeezed back and her eyes opened again, a little more this time, enough that Brian got a glimpse of their chocolate brown color.

"I'm right here Liv." Brian reassured her.

Then it stopped. Her grip loosened and her eyes were closed again, it was like everything had been in Brian head, all his imagination. And maybe it had been, maybe he had just wanted it so badly that he just wanted to think that he was finally getting what he hoped for.

Except it wasn't, it was real. Every movement and opening of the eyes had been very real.

The next time Olivia's eyes opened almost all the way and looked directly into Brian's.


	6. Chapter 6

_*Thanks for the response and reviews. As for the whole Noah/Miles thing, he's definitely Noah in this story. Just got confused with my other story and accidently used the wrong name. But it's been edited and I'll be more careful about using the correct name now!*_

The look didn't last long, however. And the longing that had flashed across Olivia's eyes when she first saw Brian was quickly replaced with a look of fear, a look that showed just how scared she was to be waking up in a hospital, unaware of what had happened. Or maybe it was the idea of having something shoved down her throat, because the first thing Liv did was reach for the tube that had been helping her to breath, trying to tug it out.

"No, Liv! You have to leave it alone; you have to wait for the doctor." Brian reached for her hands to stop her from pulling it out.

Her only response was a whimper. A sad, small whimper that made Brian wish more than ever, that none of this had happened.

In the midst of Brian reacting to Liv and her reacting as anyone would have expected her to, Cragen had left the room without notice, to find the nearest nurse, who he quickly returned with.

The young woman was familiar to Brian. "Okay, Olivia, I need you to stay calm. The doctor is on his way and he'll take out the tube, but you can't touch it right now."

Instead of fighting off Brian's hands like she had earlier, she took one of them in her own hands and gripped it tightly, as if holding on for dear life. Brian automatically squeezed back and looked right into her eyes. He ran his hand through her hair without looking away. If he could do anything for her right now, it was comfort her, let her know that he was going to be the one by her side when she needed him the most.

"Liv… Everything is going to be fine. It's all going to be okay. I'm right here." Brian continued to stroke her hair and didn't stop until Dr. Williams came into his vision across the bed from him.

"Olivia. I'm Dr. Williams." The man had to try and make Olivia feel comfortable with him as quickly as possible. "I'm going to take the tube out, it will be a little uncomfortable, but you need to stay still and try to stay calm. Can you nod if you understood that?"

Olivia did just that and gave him a small nod. But it was enough that he knew she understood and he was quick to start working. Dr. Williams, with the help of the nurse, very carefully pulled the tube from her throat. It seemed to go on forever, like it was embedded into her body. Brian had a hard time watching, but he refused to leave Olivia, after all she was the one having plastic pulled out of her.

As soon as the end of the tube left Olivia's mouth, she started to gasp for air, almost like she was teaching herself how to breath after so long. She struggled to catch her breath and her breaths were short.

Dr. Williams, who was still standing next to the bed, spoke. "Okay, Olivia, can you try to take a deep breath through your nose and let it out of your mouth."

Olivia tried, but the breath was still staggered and rather shallow, not giving her any relief. But that was the least of the worries everyone in the room had.

Without an opportunity to try once more to catch her breath, Olivia's body started to shake, as her eyes rolled back in her skull. Brian didn't want to watch, but he couldn't tear his eyes from the scene playing out in front of him. However, he was pulled away from the horrific convulsing when Noah screamed.

"She's seizing." Was all Brian could make out Dr. Williams saying.

The nurse was saying something too, but it took Brian a moment to realize she was speaking to him. He looked at her as she was sternly throwing words his way.

"Mr. Cassidy, You need to leave. Take Noah and we will come get you later, but right now Olivia needs our attention."

Brian only nodded and scooped Noah up from the chair he was occupying. The little boy squealed and wiggled as he was moved into his father's arms. He immediately began to cry as Brian walked through the door, sensing his father's worries.

Cragen followed Brian out. "I think I'm going to head out. You guys have a lot going on and you don't need me here too."

"Thank you for coming though." Brian told him over the sound of Noah's cries. "I'll call you when she's more up to having visitors."

"Call me too and let me know that she's okay when you get to see her, please." Cragen had to know that she was going to be fine after all of this.

"Of course." Brian assured him.

With those words, Cragen walked away through the ward doors and towards the exit.

As the time had passed, Brian made his way down to the pediatric floor, so Noah could take his nap. But the distressed father had spent nearly half an hour trying to calm the baby with very little success. The only thing that had finally stopped his crying was pure exhaustion, as he cried himself to sleep in Brian's arms.

But when Noah was finally asleep in his bed, Brian went straight back upstairs towards Olivia's room. He was hoping to catch a doctor or nurse who could tell him what was going on.

As soon as he pushed through the doors he saw the young nurse who had been in the room earlier. "Is she okay? What's going on?"

But before she gave an answer, Dr. Williams exited Olivia's room and gave Brian the answer he was looking for. "She's just fine. It was minor seizure. It's not uncommon in patients who have been unconscious for a while. The rise in hormones when they wake up sometimes causes them to seize. But I have her on a very light dose of sedative just to keep her calm."

"Is she okay otherwise?" Brian wasn't really sure what all the medical terminology meant.

"Her neurological exam came back just fine. Some things we'll just have to wait and see, but I would say she's doing very well." Dr. Williams said. "And you're more than welcome to go in there."

Brian nodded and moved to the door, anxious to see Liv. As he opened it, her head turned to see who was entering and a small smile came across her face when she saw it wasn't another doctor or nurse.

"Hey." Brian said quietly. "It's good to see those eyes again." He gave a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"It's good to see you." Liv was quite, much more soft spoken than she normally was.

Brian pulled the chair up to the bead and sat down, grabbing Olivia's hand in his own. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"What happened?" The question he had been waiting for. And the questioned she deserved an answer to.

"You were in a car accident on your way home from work. A truck t-boned you in an intersection when he ran the red light." Brian explained to her what caused her stay in the hospital.

"And Noah was in the car with me?" Liv looked nervous as she asked the question.

"Yeah he was." Brian answered her. "But he's okay. He had a couple of small rib fractures and he was having a hard time breathing, but they've healed and I think he'll be released tomorrow or the next day."

"Oh thank goodness." Liv let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The last thing she could handle was hearing that something serious happened to her little boy.

"He's fine, really." He knew that Liv would far more worried about Noah than herself. "I took him back to his room for his nap, but I'll bring him up as soon as he's awake."

They sat for a moment looking at each other, taking in the person both of them had waited so long to see. And Brian just stared at Olivia's chocolate brown eyes, relishing in the fact that he was able to see them once more.

"I'm really tired." Liv told him, he knew the sedative would affect her at some point.

"Why don't you take nap?" Brian suggested. "I'll stay here until Noah wakes up and then I'll get him for you."

"Thank you." Liv knew from looking at Brian that he was exhausted too and had probably spent more time at the hospital than he needed to. But she was grateful to wake up with him at her side.

She fell asleep almost instantly after that. Brian wasn't much farther behind, as it was the first time since the accident that he finally relaxed a little. He had laid his head down against the bed and fell asleep thinking about how lucky he was to have Liv back.


End file.
